Photography Curator Corey Keller to Open May Lecture Series

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 2, 2018)— To open this year’s Robert C. May Photography Lecture Series, the University of Kentucky Art Museum will host curator Corey Keller of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This free public lecture will begin 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, in the Worsham Cinema in the Gatton Student Center.

Corey Keller oversees a collection of more than 12,000 images and organizes exhibitions ranging from 19th century work to contemporary practice. In addition to her work as a curator, she organized the symposium "Is Photography Over?" in 2010 and "The Photographic Event" in 2016. She has taught at Stanford University, the San Francisco Art Institute and the California College of the Arts. Currently she is working on a major retrospective of Dawoud Bey's photography.

In 2012, San Francisco hosted two major photography exhibitions, one of Ralph Eugene Meatyard's work and the other of Francesca Woodman's work. Currently, visitors to the UK Art Museum are able to appreciate a new exhibition of Ralph Eugene Meatyard's photographs in "Ralph Eugene Meatyard: Stages of Being." In addition, they can see the impact Meatyard had on other artists in "Downstage from Meatyard." “Stages of Being” is the largest exhibition of Meatyard’s work ever presented in his adopted hometown of Lexington. The exhibition is on display through Dec. 9, 2018.

The May Lecture Series explores photography's roots in the 19th century and its reinvention in the digital world. The lecture series is made possible through the Robert C. May Photography Endowment, a museum fund established in 1994 for the support of acquisitions and programs relating to photography. As part of the 2018-19 series, the museum will also welcome acclaimed American photographer, Roger Ballen, who will present on Nov. 2.

The mission of the UK Art Museum, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, is to promote the understanding and appreciation of art to enhance the quality of life for people of Kentucky through collecting, exhibiting, preserving and interpreting outstanding works of visual art from all cultures. Home to a collection of more than 4,800 objects including American and European paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculpture, the museum presents both special exhibitions and shows of work from its permanent collection.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue